Both Hurricane Katrina and Cindy Sheehan’s ‘Camp Casey’ protest outside of George W. Bush’s Crawford, TX pretend-ranch took place 10 years ago this week. On today’s BradCast, we commemorate both with some personal remembrances from our live on-air coverage of both events at the time.
First, where we are today: As Dubya came out from years of (justifiable) hiding today to speak at a rebuilt school in New Orleans, journalist Colleen Kimmett joins us to discuss the successes and failures of the privatized charter school system that was allowed to take over in New Orleans following the Katrina disaster.
Then we dig deep into the audio archives to revisit some of our on-the-ground, round-the-clock radio coverage of Sheehan’s historic anti-war protest in August of 2005 — including the remarkable on-air moment on Sunday evening, August 28, 2005 when we first received the jaw-dropping National Weather Service bulletin warning of Katrina coming ashore.
Both landmark national events intertwined on our radio coverage from 10 years ago, and, as we discuss on today’s program, marked a key turning point for our nation, our wars, and the entire Bush Presidency.
Finally, our latest Green News Report looks back at Katrina’s devastation, looks forward to NASA’s new warning that at least 3 feet of sea level rise is now “locked in,” and the new report from Citigroup finding that moving to renewable clean energy will actually be less expensive than sticking with our current fossil fuel status quo…
UPDATE 8/29/2015: As ‘PDiddie’ (who expertly curates BRAD BLOG’s Sunday Toons each week) reminds me in comments below, he was also in Crawford at the very same time! See his contemporaneous 2005 description of some of the same moments remembered in the show above (including him sitting down to listen to some of our live broadcasts at the time) over at his Brains & Eggs’ site!
Also, too, see @NTXProgressive’s fantastic Storify, which includes a bunch of great photos (including one of us) from the time capsule, documenting moments from ‘Camp Casey’ in Crawford — and even as Katrina rolled ashore…
Does anyone remember the headline of the USA today newspaper the day after Katrina hit New Orleans. I think it said that the hurricane missed and/or weakened enough that New Orleans had missed the big one. I am having no luck on the interwebs.
Yes, Doug Baney, that’s what happened.
There was wind shear in the upper atmosphere that tore Katrina’s head off just before she came ashore. It’s an El Nino effect, what we also have this year in spades (it also bends the storms eastward as they head for the US).
Brad: As I have previously related, Camp Casey is where I first met you. Here are my recollections from that weekend.
http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.c...ruck-dumb.html
Doug @ 1: Yup. The headline was something like “Bullet Dodged”. I believe we read it or at least referred to it on air during the Crawford broadcasts on the day after Katrina, and as most of the vets there — who had come out to support Cindy — packed up leftover supplies from Camp Casey to bring down to the Gulf Coast.
PDiddie @ 2: Thanks for the link to those recollections from 2005! And you ALMOST spelled my name right at the time! 😉 I’ve added an update above to link to them as well, and also added a link to a great Storify capturing the same moments!
What an awesome bradcast! You had me damn near sobbing on the bus on my way to work with the brilliant reporting on the surreal confluence of Cindy Sheehan’s courage and Katrina’s destruction. You and Desi are true national treasures, brother, and I just upped my monthly donation to you guys as a small token of my appreciation. I am so grateful for the daily show and for all the great work that you both do. Keep up the good fight–it does not go unnoticed and it does have an impact. Thank you so much.
Rico –
Thank you so much, my friend. Both for your extraordinarily kind words and, of course, for the monthly PayPal support. If a few dozen more folks offered such “a small token” each month, we’d be in great shape and able to offer even more every day in return!
Such that it is, I remain tremendously grateful to folks like yourself who step forward to offer support for our work financially as well as “emotionally” with the kind words. The votes of confidence are greatly appreciated!!!
The thing the sticks out for me about those days when Sheehan was trying to educate the public was when she went on NPR.
I think it was Scott Simon who got the honors, and instead of listening to what Cindy had to say, he just bringing up the fact that her son Casey had signed up for the service. After the third or fourth time, Cindy just said she had things to do. I’d be willing to bet NPR never invited her back. They don’t deserve her anyway.
Very poignant as I was a California tourist stuck in the Superdome during Katrina. Bush’s visit last week to NOLA made me want to puke BP Oil.
Paul Harris, Author, Diary From the Dome Reflections On Fear and Privilege During Katrina